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Nov 6, 2012

TOFI or FOTI?

I've been reading this Yahoo article about top excuses for not exercising. I had to laugh at no. 6 because normally, people do hate exercising. But I also think it's also about the mind set. If you know it's good for you, you'll do it anyway even if your body doesn't want to. Anyway, what really caught my attention is item no. 4 of that article that mentions a bit about TOFI. It's a new term for me, but the concept, I realize is something that's already lodged in my brain, having read about that from somewhere.

First, let's get a bit more acquainted with the fat terms. The visible fat just under the skin is termed subcutaneous fat. People with healthy body mass index (BMI) appear leaner and therefore, this fat is not much of a concern, at least on a superficial view. Appearing lean, however is not a reason to claim one is healthier than the overweight people in general. It seems that a more pressing concern involves an excess of the visceral fat, the one that is in between our vital organs such as the liver and heart. This concept of outer and inner fat leads us to the term TOFI which is an acronym for thin outside, fat inside.

I must admit, before, I used to think that only overweight people get hypertension and cardiovascular disease. That was a long time ago, when I didn't have hypertension. I have always been lean, thin even. It's only just a few years ago that I gained some bulge but I'm still generally lean. Yet, almost a year ago, I've gone a bit overboard with my bad cholesterol level which has a direct link with visceral fat. And as you know, I am still into medication because of essential hypertension. Talk about bursting my bubble.

It's interesting, what I've read in this article that mentions sumo wrestlers. You'd think that with that huge size and BMI's that go to the morbidly obese level that they would simply keel over one of these days, carrying all that excess baggage of fat. The test subjects however are the perfect example of the opposite of TOFI which is FOTI or fat outside, thin inside. Confusing? I know! It's like saying I am more likely to die of a heart attack than they do lol!

All these concepts, it's like turning upside down, inside out right? So what am I driving at? Well, first, I think we should stop being fixated on outward appearances and obsessing on our body shapes. Appearing overweight is probably not always as bad as we picture it. On the other hand, appearing thin is, like I said, no reason to gloat and feel complacent about. Second, fat is good and is actually necessary for vital functions, but only in the right proportions. Good things in excess is bad in the long run. So how do we achieve a good balance? It still boils down to proper diet and a good amount of daily exercise. It's a package deal and you can't just focus on one.

So, is it a TOFI or a FOTI? Neither. A better choice would be to be fit and healthy, both on the inside and the outside. Tough, but it's something we could all work for, right?

63 comments:

Hello health buff. Being a lover of food, I thought TOFI was associated with TOFU and that was the reason your post caught my attention, lol. However upon reading I now understand why there are some runners even fitness instructors who do not look fit yet have the stamina to exercise.And your post somehow has enlightened me.

Hey there, fellow health buff :-) TOFI reminds me of candy hehe. I couldn't make anything of FOTI lol! Yes, I know about those runners. Makes me feel ashamed on my first run, when women much larger than me kept running, huffing and all but still running...and I was thinking how could that be that I am almost out of breath? I took it as a personal challenge :-)

You remind me, I still haven't done my exercise routine. I'm still waiting for my pair of sneakers from Boardwalk haha. I wanted to be fit so I can tend to my responsibilities with a healthy disposition if it makes sense. :) http://rizawritten.com

Honestly though, I prefer TOFI :D Coz I find it easier to tone up than to lose the fat. I know of one FOTI though, and I'm always amazed at how he doesn't look like he runs faster and takes longer before losing breath.

I'm thin, but healthy :) I'm glad that even if I have a body of an highshcool student, my resistance is strong Masha'Allah. Pwera usog. I hope to under the FIT category. Minsan kasi parang under weight na ako hahaha!

Just recently, I decided to continue visiting the gym no matter what. The benefits I get from exercising is incomparable to when I do it alone at home because of the many excuses I find myself being lured to. Btw, thanks for all the help regarding my domain. I hope I can fix it soon. I sought help from a colleague's husband who'll hopefully help me resolve the issue :)

FOTI/TOFi, really new terms. Very informative post sis. I know a friend who has high cholesterol level even if she's super thin. In fact, she don't eat pork. Maybe it runs through their family and of course that triggers because she loves eating high cholesterol foods.

Now that I'm pregnant, the only exercise that I can do is walking -- until recently when I feel dizzy and tired most of the time and found out that my RBC is going down while the WBC is getting too high :(

It's hard to exercise when pregnant... But I really love to cos I'm scared to be blown big again when I gave birth to my previous one -- from 110lbs pre-preg wt, I grew to 280lbs on the day of delivery =(

Aileen!!! I started jogging na! But after the initial 2kg drop, the kilos aren't dropping further T-T Jogging won't help much pala. I need to "run". I can feel myself fitting on my clothes again though :p

but I think it's also because I still eat unhealthy food / meat (just in small portions). I need to fix my diet and commit to it!!

Oh dear, I live a sedentary life and am gaining weight fast. I'm petite though so I don't really look that fat although I feel sluggish and all from the extra weight. I guess I'm now TOFI. I really should start exercising soon.

I think I would agree with you Aileen. I would like to be fit and healthy too at the same time. Well, if we could achieve both by disciplining ourselves, why not? I know that it's hard to strike a balance between having good foods and exercising but in the long run, it would be super beneficial for us. I think, it our mind set that would make us succeed on this.

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Hi! Thank you so much for taking the time to visit this site. This is basically a blog about my personal journey towards better health as I try to hold hypertension at bay, or possibly reverse the condition. Towards the end of 2011, I started taking health and wellness more seriously, something I should have done decades ago. It's never too late to start and I know I have a long way to go. I hope you'll journey with me...better yet, run with me. It's one of the things I enjoy doing at the moment and you'll see a lot of my running escapades here.

To good health!!!

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I'm a full time employee somewhere in Manila. I'm an Engineer by profession and a blogger/writer on the side. Most of my free time, you'll see me surfing the net, huddled over a book,tinkering with my blogs, or joining running events.